Unread for 5/21

13 team mixed roto. We start 2 at 1B,2B,3B,SS and 5 OF and 7 SP,3 RP.

I trade Arod and CC for Fielder and Crawford. My 2 3B would be Crede and Kouzmanoff. My OF would be Carlos Lee,Ichiro,Crawford,Mclouth,Victorino and Luke Scott. I can deal 1 of my OF for SP. What do you think?

Scott

Hey Scott,

Yeah, I would do this deal. A-Rod is still the number one player in fantasy, but trading him along with an elite pitcher who I think will take a nosedive in the second half for two first-round quality players is a good deal for you.

A-Rod is hitting .287 with five home runs and 13 RBIs in 94 at-bats and should be as productive as ever after missing three weeks with a quadriceps injury. The time that he missed might make it difficult for him to reach the 54 home runs and 156 RBIs he posted last season, but 40-45 home runs and 120-130 RBIs is plausible. I am not as high on Sabathia, though.

I realize he has been torrid in his last six starts (1.66 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 51/9 K/BB ratio in 43 innings), but his workload from last season still worries me. He burned through 256 innings last year, a copious amount of work that I think will come back to burn him in the second half of this season. I’m not saying he’ll get injured; it would be ludicrous of me to predict that. He may even be serviceable, but I can see him wearing down from all the innings come August and September. If you can get Fielder and Crawford from C.C. and A-Rod, well, you have to take that chance.

Fielder has started slow (six home runs, 24 RBIs, .799 OPS), but think of his production from last season. Although May was his biggest power month (13 homers, 28 RBIs) last year, he still smashed at least eight long balls and 20-plus RBIs in three other months. He has as much of a chance to reach 50 home runs as A-Rod and Prince should have plenty of RBI opportunities hitting behind Rickie Weeks, Mike Cameron and Ryan Braun in the Brewers lineup.

Crawford would make your team an elite in the steals department. He also has double-digit pop in his bat (an average of 14 homers the past four years) and he’ll score a boatload of runs as B.J. Upton, Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria are there to knock him home.

Crede and Kouz are fine at third base. Crede hit 30 homers and knocked in 94 runs in a full season for the White Sox in 2006 and his eight jacks and 27 ribbies this season are proof that he is a very good fantasy player when healthy. Kouz should be fine as your second third baseman, but you might want to give Padres prospect Chase Headley a look. The third baseman/outfielder is expected to be called up soon to jumpstart an anemic Padres offense. The 24-year-old is batting .288 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in 170 at-bats, so his third base eligibility will make him a good alternative to Kouz if the incumbent (.269, 4 homers, 17 RBIs, .684 OPS) doesn’t heat up.

Like this:

Related

3 Comments

I would not make that deal. I would like to know the 1st baseman you would be replacing, but it doesn’t seem to make sense. I like Fielder, but Arod is Arod.

With Carlos Lee (10 steals),Ichiro (50 steals) and Victorino (40 steals) do you really need another OF with speed? Can you afford 3 light hitting OF?

You can deal one of the OF for a SP, but not last years CY Young winner. You will have a massive down grade at SP and 3rd base (Crede bats 260 if he stays healthy) for an upgrade at 1st & an OF that doesn’t really fit.

Fielder would replace Billy Butler. I was planning on dealing Victorino for a solid SP to go along with Vazquez,Mcgowan,Big Erv,Blanton,RJ,Duchscherer,Baker,Hill and Perkins. Not great,but good enough to compete.

Meta

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.